Inner Flame Read online



  Inner Flame

  The Fire Within

  by Kay Springsteen and Kim Bowman

  Published by esKape Press

  www.eskapepress.com

  All Rights Reserved

  Copyright © 2015 Kay Springsteen and Kim Bowman

  ISBN-10: 1940695538

  ISBN-13: 9781940695532

  Cover Art Designed by For the Muse Design

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and/or persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are the property of their respective owners and are used for reference only and not an implied endorsement.

  Except for review purposes, the reproduction and distribution of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, without the written permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book, other than for review purposes, please obtain written permission first by contacting the publisher at [email protected].

  Thank you for your support of the author’s rights as provided for in the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976.

  For subsidiary rights, foreign and domestic, please contact the publisher at [email protected]

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  Other Titles by the Authors

  Kay Springsteen and Kim Bowman

  A Lot Like A Lady

  Something Like A Lady

  Kay Springsteen

  Heartsight

  Camp Wedding

  Heartsent

  Operation: Christmas Hearts

  Heartfelt

  The Toymaker

  Teach Me Under the Mistletoe

  Lifeline Echoes

  Elusive Echoes

  Abiding Echoes

  Kim Bowman

  The Duke of Christmas Past

  Ghosts in the Graveyard

  Dedication

  Thank you to my Lord and Savior for always walking with me and for carrying me when I can't walk.

  ~Kay Springsteen

  To readers: this one’s for you!

  ~Kim Bowman

  Chapter One

  The evil hiss of tires on wet pavement had become so much white noise. How long had they been driving? How far had they come? Too far… and not far enough.

  “I can’t believe she’s gone.” Seraphina Dobson kept her trembling voice low so she didn’t wake her sleeping sister. Jazzel had been through enough. The little girl had cried for hours, her gut-wrenching sobs tearing Sera’s heart to shreds. Even now, Jazz’s little cheeks were tear-streaked and blotchy. She had her arms wrapped tightly around her brindle and white pit bull as if she’d lose him too if she let go.

  Sera reached over the seat and adjusted the blanket Jazz had kicked off. The dog leveled a knowing gaze on Sera that sent a sudden quiver up her spine. She settled back in her seat with a shudder.

  Connor took one hand off the steering wheel and touched her on the wrist. Flicking his gaze in her direction, he laced their fingers together and gave a quick squeeze. “Your mother was a wonderful woman.”

  Pay attention to the road! Sera swallowed her words and forced a smile before turning to stare out the window at the dreary, rain-soaked fields. Connor had hated her mother. Muriel Allwood had made no secret of the fact that she didn’t care much for Connor either.

  The scenery passed by in a blur. Whether from the speed Connor was driving or the tears threatening to burst from her eyes, Sera couldn’t be sure. Had it really been a year since she’d seen her mother? Jazz? Probably closer to two since she’d last seen Hank. How differently she might have done things if she’d known the last time she’d seen her mother was going to be the last time.

  She stole a sideways glance at Connor. God, he was handsome. If she was being honest, she wasn’t sure she would change things. She loved Connor. Why hadn’t her mother been able to see that? Sure Sera regretted not having the wedding of her dreams, not having her family and friends there to watch her and Connor exchange vows. But she didn’t regret eloping with him.

  She just hadn’t expected her mother to disown her over it.

  Now Muriel was gone. How did a healthy forty-five-year-old woman drop dead of a heart attack? Thank God Jazz had been at preschool instead of home when their mother had died. The trauma that would have caused was unthinkable. Bad enough she’d been taken to school for the day, expecting her mother to pick her up as usual, only to never see her again. Now poor Jazz was an orphan — a heartsick orphan. Sera wasn’t sure what that made her. What did people call an adult child whose mother had died?

  “I still can’t believe Hank didn’t come to your mother’s funeral.” Connor’s voice broke into her thoughts. “That brother of yours has always been a selfish ass.”

  The mongrel gave a yelp that fell somewhere between a growl and a howl and lunged up against the back of her seat, licking Sera’s face and whining.

  Sera pushed the dog’s face away. The taste of rotten meat lingered on her lips. “Gross! What the hell have you been eating?” He dove for her face again, licking and pawing. Sera smacked his nose and shoved him toward the back seat. “Stop it. Lay down. Ugh! Unruly mutt.”

  “He’s not a mutt.” Jazzel’s voice was heavy with sleep. “He’s Hank.”

  Despite her sadness, Sera chuckled. “Hey, Jazz. Hank, huh? He sure isn’t any better behaved.”

  The dog let out a grunt that sounded a lot like “bitch.”

  Sera shivered. She didn’t dislike dogs, usually got along well with animals, in fact. There was just something about this one…

  Connor reached forward and flipped the heater a notch higher. Soon warmth blanketed Sera’s feet and moved upward, making her eyelids heavy.